cowles



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. B. GOWLES.

MACHINE FOR MAKING LOOK GAPS.

No. 368,133. Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

(-No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

G. B. GOWLES.

MACHINE FOR MAKING LOOK GAPS.

Patented Aug. 9 1887.v @4,

n mm n mr. Washington, a. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. COWLES, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE OORBIN CABINET LOOK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING LOCK-CAPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368.133. dated August 9, 1887.

' Application filed September 1, 1884. Serial No. 141,802. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. COWLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dies and Mechanism for Cutting, Bending, and Punching Lock- Caps, of whichthe following is a specification.

Figure l is a front elevation of my dies, the knocking-out mechanism, and so much of a power-press as is necessary to show their connection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the die proper. Fig. 4 is a reverse plan view of the punch belong ing to said die. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of said die and punch on the plane a; x of Figs. 3 and 4t; and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the product of said die namely, the cap for a lock-case.

My die and punch is intended. to be used in any ordinary power-press.

The contour of the blanking-die at its edges a a corresponds to the edges 1) b, Fig. (5, of the cap, which will vary from time to time, ac-

cording to the particular cap to be made. Thedie is provided with a take-off, A, side gages,

- 0-, Fig. 5, which are also indicated by the broken lines 0 in Fig. 3, and also with a stop gage, (1. Instead of cutting out from the die all of the metal between its confronting cutting-edges a a a portion thereof is left in the middle of the die or subsequently inserted for forming the punch B, or male member of the swagingdie. This punch also answers as the dicblock in which to form the die 9, or dies for cutting the hole or holes in the cap. The punch is provided with cutting-edges a a, which are fitted to the edges a a of the die, with a central die, groove, or recess,B, for receiving the punch B, and with a short punch, g, which is fitted to the (lieg. The die proper is also provided on its upper side with two transverse grooves, h h, of a depth greater or fully equal to the turned-down edges of the cap. The walls of said grooves are so placed with relation to the punch B that their confronting sides are in the same plane as the side walls of the punch B.

G designates the knock-out, which is at tached to a reciprocating rod or slide, D, arranged in suitable guides -as, for instance, a

hole through the frame E of the press. The outer end of this rod is secured to the lever F, which lever is pivoted to a fixed stud, 7., on the frame of the press, with its upper end extending into the groove of the cam G, which is secured to the main shaft H. This cam is so set upon the press-shaft that it will impart a reciprocating motion to the knock-out C while the punch is receding from the die. The

knock-out G has its end resting in one of the transverse grooves 71, and is also provided with a horizontal flange, m, which moves over the upper surface of the blanking-dic.

Sheet metal-as, forinstance,iron-is selected 6 5 of the desired width for the cap and is run in under the take-off A, between the gages c 0, until its end comes in contact with the stop (if. The punch is then caused to dcscend,when its first action is to cut the iron upon the edges a a, leaving the side edges of the iron uncut. The punch continues to descend, and the punch B on the main or lower die and the recess B in the punch or upper member act jointly to turn down two edges of the cap. Just as the swaging action is nearly completed, and while the iron is held firmly in place by the swaging die and punch, the short punch g and its die 9 act to punch the hole in the cap, thus blanking, swaging, and punching the cap all at one 8) operation and by one mot-ion of a single-acting press, thereby producing the cap shown in Fig. 6. It is evident, however, that when the cut edges of the cap are turned down within the die and over a solid portion in the middle of said die, this cap cannot pass downward through the die in the ordinary manner of discharging blanks, nor can itbe crowded forward by the action of feeding up more stock, and for this reason the knock-out Oand 0 the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are employed. Vhile the punch is receding from the die the cam G and connecting mechanism act to force the knock-out O to the right, when it will strike one of the turned-down portions of the metal and carry the swagcd cap far enough to one side to make room for more stock to be fed forward, after which the knock-out is returned. The horizontal flange m of the knockout also acts to push forward too out of the way any loose piece of scrap that may be lying on the upper surface of the die.

The knock-out may have throw enough to discharge the cap Wholly from the die, or it may be moved to one side far enough to clear the die by the direct action of the knock-out and p 5 then let one cap be pushed out of the dieby the succeeding cap. I have illustrated but one knock-out, which is sufficient for this work; but,if desired, a similar knock-out might also be attached to the slideor rod Dand work in like manner in the other groove h.

I do not wish to limit myself in my claims for the dies to the knocking-out mechanism' shown and described, as it is evident that other automatic mechanism might be substituted I 5 therefor, or the caps might be removed by hand. I have also, illustrated the die as cutting upon two edges only and turning down two edges of the cap; but I intend to employ the same general construction of the die and punch for cutting upon four sides and turning down four edges of the cap.

I am aware that a prior patent shows and describes dies by which a disk-shaped blank for a watch-case center is cut, then swaged,

and a central hole punched in it all at one blow of a single-acting press, and such dies are hereby disclaimed.

I claim as myinvention i. The herein-described swaging and punching die for swaging and punching a lock-cap 3o after it is blanked, which consists of the swaging-punch, which forms the die-block of the cutting-die g, the take-off A, set over said dieblock, and the swaging-die for embracing said swaging-punch and-having therein the short 3 5 punch g, the whole operating together to swage and punch a lock-cap by one blow of a single-acting press, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the blanking and swaging dies and punches having transverse grooves in the upper side of said blanking-die and the automatic knock-out acting through one of said grooves, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified. 5

3. The combination of the blanking-die having cutting-edges a a, the central solid portion, which forms one memberof the swage, and the grooves he? by the side of said solid portion, with a companion blanking-punch having the middle swaging-die, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

GEORGE E, GOWLES.

Witnesses:

Gno. WV. CORBIN, S. N. CHAFFEE. 

